A Jedi's Life is Sacrifice
by yellieisarobot
Summary: Taking place just after the events on the Leviathan, Revan and her companions must search for the final Star Map, while trying to come to terms with what they have learned. [LSF Revan]
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, nor do I own Carth, Malak, Bastila, or any characters you are familiar with, obviously.  
_

_This story takes place directly after the events of the Leviathan, and I'm presuming you've already played the game, or are at least familiar with the storyline! I have tried to accomadate to the people that haven't played the game, but I don't think I did that well.._

_That said, I hope you enjoy my (first ever) fanfiction, and please, if you have any comments, or suggestions, don't hesitate to say so, please! _

**----------**

**I **

Tiaan's shouts of urgency roused Carth from the thoughts that went reeling through his mind. _No. She can't be… not Tiaan. _

"CARTH!" Tiaan screamed at him, "We have to get off the Leviathan NOW !" She ran up to him and grabbed his arm. Carth jerked it away, as if her touch scalded him. He saw a look of shock in her eyes before he turned away from her to face Bastila.

"Bastila, its true, isn't it?" He said, his voice quivering with anger. She looked down, her brown hair, normally so pristine, hung in tendrils over her face. _At least she had the decency to look shamed, _he thought grimly. "And, and you knew! You and the whole damn Jedi council! You _knew_ the whole time!" He yelled, pointing in accusation at her.

"Carth, its not what you think, we had no other choice, please, you have to understand…" She began, but Carth cut her off. "Then _make_ me understand!" He stepped over the body of his old mentor and marched right up to the young Jedi, his face twisted into an expression of pure anger.

"What are you talking about?" Tiaan looked at the pilot in bewilderment, "What did Saul say to you?" Carth refused to look at her, and Bastila had a look of dread in her face. "Will someone _please_ tell me what is going on?" she stamped her foot in frustration.

"Well, do you want to tell her, or should I?" Carth glared at Bastila, gesturing towards Tiaan, but still not even glancing at her.

"Carth," Bastila pleaded, "Not here, Carth, please… there isn't time! Malak is coming. This isn't the place."

"Fine." Carth said, after a few moments of silent fuming, "But once we're off this ship, I expect some answers!" Bastila nodded and rushed over to the bridge doors, followed by a very confused Tiaan and lastly by Carth.

Before he went through the doors, Carth turned back towards the body of his old mentor, mulling over what had just taken place.

_Carth felt nothing, heard nothing, said nothing. He was concentrated on only one thing. Getting through the defences to Admiral Saul Kareth. The man who had destroyed Telos. Killed his wife. He was one with the blade he deftly wielded, cutting down all in his path. He was so close… So close to finally fulfilling his desire for revenge. _

_He lunged upon Saul with a cry of rage. He did not notice the cuts and injuries he sustained, all he knew was revenge. Saul deflected his attacks with ease, but he was on the defensive. Carth knew it would all be over in less than a minute. He disarmed Saul and knocked him to the ground. Piercing his lung with his vibroblade, Carth felt his frenzy subside. All he needed to do now was… _

_"Carth, no!" a voice. Tiaan's voice. It brought Carth back from his battle rage, and he focused on her. His vibroblade was at Saul's throat. "Don't do this," Tiaan said, reaching for his hand. "Don't give into your hatred!" He tried to convey his turbulent thoughts to her, but a gurgle of laughter erupted from beneath his blade. "Come here, Carth," Saul spluttered, blood spewing from his mouth. "I have something to tell you about your friend here…" _

_Saul died laughing. _

"Carth!" Tiaan's voice once again interrupted his thoughts, "Come on, I can feel Malak, he's coming!" She sprinted over to the elevator with Bastila, Carth following close behind.

Tiaan's comm. activated and Canderous' face came into view. "We've got the _Ebon Hawk _ready to go." He said, his rough voice barely masked by the static of the hologram. "Where are you guys?"

"We're on our way to the hanger, keep the engines running." Tiaan responded, before putting the comm. back into her pack. She looked from Bastila to Carth (who were avoiding each other's gaze) in exasperation, knowing that asking questions would lead nowhere.

The elevator door opened to reveal more Sith troopers. They fought their way closer to the hanger, but as they made their way through the halls, Tiaan stopped, gasping. "Malak…" she whispered, looking up. Bastila and Carth followed suite, and each stifled a gasp as the Dark Lord of the Sith strode into view.

He was truly terrifying to gaze upon. His eyes burned a cold dark colour, and with his jaw covered by a large piece of metal wrapping around his neck, he had the look of a machine. As he walked towards them, his tight red armour flexed, and his long dark cape followed his every movement.

"I hope you weren't thinking of leaving so soon, Bastila," his robotic voice convulsing shivers down Tiaan's back. "I've spent far too much energy hunting down you and your companions to let you get away from me now." His dark eyes slowly turned to Tiaan; a sparkle of malice in them. "Besides," he continued, "I had to see for myself if it was true. Even now I can hardly believe my eyes… Tell me, why did the Jedi spare you? Is it vengeance you seek at this reunion?"

Tiaan had rapidly been thinking of an escape plan when Malak turned his attention to her. She jumped at the question. "What?" She asked, forgetting for a moment who she was talking to. "Why did the Jedi spare _me_? I… I don't understand…"

The look that crossed Malak's face could only be described as pure sadistic glee. "What?" He laughed mercilessly. "You mean you don't know? Ha, ha, ha! All this time and you still haven't figured it out?" Tiaan's stomach felt like lead as Malak continued to cackle. She turned to Bastila, who look shame-faced. "I wonder how long you would have stayed blind to the truth?" He continued, "Surely some of what you once were must have surfaced by now? Even the combined power of the Jedi council wouldn't keep your true identity buried forever, could it?"

Tiaan went cold. _The Star Maps… Bastila had said that it was the Force showing them where they were… That they were visions… Not. No. Not visions… _memories_. Memories of her original search for the Star Forge. With Malak. _"No…" she whispered, her voice cracking. "This… It's a trick! A Sith lie!" She screamed, looking to Bastila and Carth for confirmation, both of whom looked away, shame-faced.

"You cannot hide from what you once were, _Revan_!" Malak snarled. "Recognise that you were once the Dark Lord, and I have taken your place!"

Tiaan turned to Bastila, "Please, Bastila," she whispered, "Tell me he's lying."

Bastila's face; normally so stoic and composed, was a bitter mask of hurt. "It's true," she replied, her voice barely audible. "When I and the Jedi strike force boarded your flagship, we were not expecting…"

"… Your apprentice to attack your ship." Malak finished, marching towards them. "I had thought you and Jedi Shan," He indicated his head towards Bastila, "to be dead after I fired at you both."

"I was the only one left standing, Malak," Bastila responded, her voice growing stronger. "Just a tiny spark of the Force remained in Revan."

"Why did you not simply kill me?" Tiaan asked, her voice hollow.

"The Jedi do not kill their prisoners," Bastila said, facing Tiaan, "I knew that your information of the Star Forge would be crucial, so I grabbed a hold of that waning spark of the Force, and brought you before the Jedi council. They gave you a new identity; one that would be loyal to the Jedi, and that would conceal the Dark Lord's identity."

"The Council lied to me?" Tiaan cried. "_You _lied to me?" She clutched her head, willing this to be some strange dream that she would wake up from. _I'm Revan_, she thought, _I was Dark Lord of the Sith… This. This is a lie. Please, Force, let this be a lie._

"Tiaan, please believe me when I say that it was in the best interests of…" The look of heartbreak on Tiaan's face cut Bastila off.

"I grow weary of this little charade," Malak said, extending his red lightsaber. "This time, Revan," He growled, putting Bastila and Carth into Force Stasis, "you won't survive!" He lunged at Tiaan, who only just in time ignited her Saber.

When the Saber's blades clashed, it exploded into a burst of red and green light. Tiaan forced down her looming despair to concentrate on the fight. She pushed Malak's blade away from her, and flung a ball of lightning at him.

Malak blocked it with the swish of his Lightsaber and laughed, "You think to best me with your parlour tricks, Revan?" He said as he dived towards her once more.

"You seem to forget, Malak," Tiaan parried, and managed to get in a critical hit. ", that I was once _your_ master!" At the last word she Force Boosted herself behind him and roundhouse kicked him towards one of the doors surrounding them. Malak stumbled and flung himself through the door, locking it behind him.

Tiaan ran towards one of the other doors, hoping to catch him unawares. She didn't even look at the Stasis Carth and Bastila; feeling she would break down if she so much as glanced at them. _Need my strength…_ she muttered to herself.

However, as she opened the door, the sound of a Lightsaber igniting behind her told her she was wrong. She dodged the fatal blow Malak tried to strike her with, and rolled across the floor, reaching for a grenade from her pack.

"Oh, Revan," Malak said, a patronising tone in his voice, "Have you really gone so soft as to use those menial _grenades _on me?"

Tiaan managed a feral grin. The distraction of reaching for a grenade had worked, and she threw Malak into a Force Tornado. She Boosted herself towards him and parried his blows he tried to deal.

Tiaan didn't think; her mind was blank. Numb. Malak fought his way out of the tornado and their Lightsabers clashed. As each struggled to gain the upper hand, their faces came closer and closer together. Tiaan could see the hatred in Malak's cold yellow eyes; the tattoos covering his bald head creased in concentration. She forced the green blade closer to his chest, willing herself to use more strength, but as she looked into Malak's eyes, she saw something; something that sent her reeling into another memory…

_Malak's body grated against her porcelain skin and she cried out in ecstasy. She scraped her nails down his back as he kissed her neck passionately. "Oh my," she purred afterwards. "My apprentice may soon become the master," Malak looked at her with greed in his eyes, she stroked his jaw and kissed him fiercely. _

Tiaan felt sick to her stomach. She stumbled backwards and dropped her lightsaber; the green blade disappearing. She fell to her knees, and cursed bitterly, ignoring Malak completely, so engrossed in the memory she was. _Malak and her were… lovers? Oh, Force… _She looked up at Malak once more, and shrugged her shoulders meekly; a sign of defeat. Malak glared at her, and with a look of triumph, he raised his red lightsaber to deliver the final blow. _Oh, Carth, _she sighed, _I am so sorry… _

"This isn't over, Malak!" Bastila's voice awakened Tiaan from her misery. She looked up and saw Bastila standing at the door, her yellow blade ignited, her face determined. _Bastila, _Tiaan thought, _please, just let me die… You owe me that much. _

Malak seemed unperturbed at the arrival of the young Jedi. "You always could inspire loyalty, Revan," he murmured at Tiaan, then turning towards Bastila. "But even three of you together wouldn't hope to defeat me!"

Carth appeared out of nowhere, shoving Tiaan through the doors behind her. Over Carth's shoulder, Tiaan saw Bastila lunge at Malak, shouting "For the Jedi!", before the doors slammed shut. She fought out of Carth's grip and flew back to the door, pounding on it. "Bastila!" She screamed, over and over again. _This was my fight, not yours… _She kept thinking as she continued to hit the now locked door.

"Tiaan," Carth said softly, trying to pull her slowly away from the door. She tore her shoulder away from his hand, and continued to try and get back in. "Tiaan!" he said, more forceful this time. She continued to ignore him. "Tiaan!" He shouted. "We have to get to the hanger!" He was growing more and more angry with her ignoring him. "REVAN!" he shouted.

That got her attention. She stopped her frantic attempts at getting the door open, and turned around, as if only realising he was there. She stared at him, her expression a mask of disbelief, shock and devastation. The look on her face almost made him regret what he had said. _Almost._

"Come on," he said, more calmly. "We have to get to the _Ebon Hawk._" She followed him silently though the corridors; the only sound now was the clanking of their armoured boots against the floor.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's Note**: This was so rushed, I'm sorry if it's not good! I just wanted to update before school takes over my life again. D: _

**II**

Canderous kept a wary eye towards the hanger doors; blaster rifle cocked and ready just in case another Sith troop came in. "Come on," he muttered impatiently, "We've gotta get off this damn ship."

"Now, now, sonny, patience is a virtue." An old, rough voice said behind him. He turned around to see Jolee walking into the cockpit, shrugging on a set of brown Jedi robes. He had been the one to release Tiaan and the others from the holding cells, _and he had to do it in his undergarments! _Canderous thought with a derisive snort. When Bastila had said that Jolee was best for the job (what with his powers of force persuasion), Canderous had felt a tinge of jealousy of not being needed. However, when he found out about the old Jedi's rescue mission in his nothing but his unmentionables, the Mandalorian felt that getting to the Ebon Hawk was adventure enough for him.

"Listen, old man," Canderous retorted, still staring out of the window towards the hanger doors, "Patience isn't going to get me far when Malak is stringing me up by my neck. _What is taking them so long?_" He added angrily.

"Worried?" Jolee asked, with the hint of a grin in his voice.

Canderous sniffed, and turned around to face the Jedi. "About a princess, a smuggler and Republic?" But instead of retorting with an insult, he pondered the question. _Sure I'm worried, _came the truth from his conscience, but his Mandalorian mentality broke through, as usual. _Pah, _it grunted, _going soft? _He was about to respond to Jolee, when he heard Mission shout that they were back. He rushed past Jolee and ran towards the centre of the ship.

Tiaan and Carth were bombarded by Mission and Juhani, who were all asking a multitude of questions. Only the two droids and Zaalbar, the Wookie, were silent.

"What happened?"

"Was Malak there?"

"Where's Bastila?"

"Did Malak get her?"

Both Tiaan and Carth looked exhausted, and neither of them looked like they were ready to answer any questions. Jolee pushed through everyone and gave them both medpacs. They took them wordlessly and healed their wounds. Everyone was quiet now, waiting for some kind of response from the two of them.

Looking closer, Jolee saw the stricken expressions on them both, and especially Tiaan. She looked to be teetering on the edge of madness; her eyes were wide and staring and she was shaking. Without warning, Carth stood up and strode towards the cockpit. "Someone man the turret," He said, the command in his voice echoing his years of training as a soldier, "We're going to be followed as we get out of here."

There was a hesitant silence. Tiaan normally used the turret, but she didn't even seem aware of her surroundings, let alone what Carth had just said. "I'll go," Canderous said, and ran out of the room to the turrets.

Mission cautiously sat down beside Tiaan, who didn't even acknowledge it. "Ti?" She asked, her blue headtails falling across her shoulders. "What happened? Where's Bastila?" Tiaan stifled a sob, before whispering something unintelligible. "What?" Mission asked, "What did you say?"

Juhani stiffened. Her Cathar hearing had not failed her. "She said that Bastila had stayed back to fight Malak." She said with her heavily accented voice.

Mission gasped. "You… You mean she's dead!" As haughty as Bastila had been towards the Twi'lek teen, Mission had grown fond of her during their travels.

"No, Malak will want to use her Battle Meditation against the Republic," Jolee said, taking a seat opposite Tiaan. "No doubt he'll turn her to the Dark Side." He shook his head gravely.

Tiaan stood up suddenly and darted to the dormitory she used to share with Bastila. Mission made to follow her, but Jolee held out a hand. "I think maybe I should speak to her." He said, suddenly realising what she was so upset about.

"What is the matter with her?" Juhani asked, full of concern for her friend.

"Maybe you should speak to Carth," he said inattentively, standing up and following Tiaan into her room. Mission looked at the Cathar in exasperation, and proceeded to follow her into the cockpit, motioning to Zaalbar.

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Tiaan sat in the farthest corner, curled up in a little ball, willing the earth to swallow her whole; such was her despair. _I'm Revan, _she thought, _I'm not Tiaan, not anymore. _A tear rolled down her cheek as she thought of all her memories that the Jedi council imagined for her. _None of it was real. Not my first kiss, my friends, my parents. Not my first smuggling job or even my name. My whole life was just a fabrication of the Jedi. _She hit her fist against the floor, now crying bitterly, her whole world crashing down around her. _It was me who killed all those people, _she cried, _me who ruined so many lives. _

She felt the presence of Jolee at the door, but didn't look up, too sunken into her misery to care. "So you know, do you?" He said with that evasive tone that always drove her insane. But that question caught her attention. She looked up at him, her tear stained face partly covered by her messy brown hair. "You're wondering how I knew?" Jolee said, with all the casualness of one commenting on the weather. "Well, I just do, and I didn't feel it my place to say, so don't ask. Look," he said, more kindly. "I know this is difficult to deal with right now…"

Tiaan cut him off, "NO," she shouted, "you DON'T know! You don't know what it's like to realise all your memories are a LIE! You don't know what it's like to find out that you're a Sith Lord" She spat, before scrunching back up into a ball, covering her head with her arms and sobbing her heart out.

Jolee sighed. "You're right, I don't. But what I do know is that crying like that isn't going to stop Malak." He said smartly, "We still have one Star Map left to find, and we can't do it without you."

Tiaan thought about her friends, and how they helped her throughout their mission. _How can I face them? _Their faces flashed through her mind. _Mission – she was so nice to me, we got along so well. Will she want to play pazaak with a monster like me? Zaalbar swore a life-debt to Tiaan, but not Revan. Will he abandon me? What about Juhani, she could fall back to the Dark Side after finding out how easily Revan succumbed… I succumbed,_ she corrected sadly. As the faces of her friends crossed her mind, one face kept appearing that she desperately didn't want to think about. _Oh Carth, _she cried, _how can you even bear to look at me? It took so long to gain your trust… _She remembered how he shouted her name; her _true_ name to get her attention. _He'll never forgive me._

It was as though that last thought cleared her mind. With a shuddering breath, she stood up. Jolee made to grab her arm, to help her, but she shrugged it away. She brushed at her blood-stained robes nervously. "I have to get cleaned up," she said in a monotonous voice that, well, worried Jolee.

"Tiaan," he started, but she cut her off.

"Don't." She said, a slight quiver in her tone. "Don't call me that. It's not my name. Not anymore." And with that, she wandered out of the dorm and into the refresher.

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"Carth," Mission said as she stepped into the cockpit, "what's going on? What happened?" Carth ignored her, instead concentrating on getting the _Ebon Hawk _out of the Leviathan. The Twi'lek stamped her foot in frustration at being so obviously ignored. Juhani placed a hand on her shoulder and motioned for her to stand next to Zaalbar.

"Carth," Juhani said, "We're worried about Tiaan, what happened after Bastila was taken?" They heard a long sigh coming from the chair, and Carth's head bowed.

"Go ask her yourself," he said bitterly. Mission made to retort angrily, but Juhani held her back. They left Carth alone in the cockpit, who was silently cursing bitterly.

_Because of her, your wife is dead, _he reasoned, _she killed thousands of people, you can't trust her! _But then he remembered all she had done on this quest. He remembered the woman on Tatooine who sold them something for five hundred credits, and left with an extra two hundred. He remembered the Selkath children on Manaan, and how she convinced them to turn away from the Sith. And then the memory of watching his wife die in front of him came soaring back into his mind.

He thumped his fist against the controls, and put his head in his hands. _Why does it have to be so hard? _

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_Okay, really bad chapter, I'm sorry! But the next one will be better, I promise! _


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer: **Do you really think that if I owned ANYTHING even remotely connected to Star Wars or Knights of the Old Republic I'd be sitting here writing fanfiction? _

_I think not. _

_**Author's Note: **Wahey! I actually finished this chapter! You have no idea how hard I worked to get this done, so any and all feedback is oh-so-greatly appreciated. _

* * *

**III**

The water cascaded down her back like a waterfall, washing away the sweat, dirt and blood of the struggle aboard the Leviathan. She luxuriated in the heat of the shower, the steady flow of water systematically messaging her. She ran her hands through her long dark hair, the water acting like a gel and keeping it out of her face as she allowed herself to check her injuries.

Her body was littered with battle scars, both old and new. She briefly wondered about the ones she must have received as the Dark Lord of the Sith – Which ones did she get fighting against the Jedi? Which ones did she receive defying the Councils orders? With a shudder, she turned her mind away from such thoughts, and instead concentrated on healing her newest wounds. It only took a moment with her force powers; the more serious wounds were healed by the med-pac Jolee gave her earlier.

Stepping out of the shower, her body still dripping wet, she didn't bother getting a towel. Instead, she headed straight for the large mirror on the other end of the refresher. She hesitated, seeing her shadowy silhouette in the fogged up glass. What might she see? The face she always recognised when she did her hair, washed her hands? Or the new face, the one of unfamiliarity, the one that the Council wanted her to forget? Slowly, methodically, she wiped the steam off the mirror and looked at her reflection.

Expecting a completely different person, she was rather surprised to see that familiar face. There wasn't anything particularly special looking back at her; a young woman, early twenties, with long hair that curled even when wet. Her large green eyes gazed back at her, an underlying sadness in them, taking in her slim figure, although lately she had lost her appetite and her ribs were protruding more than usual. She looked at her mouth, the downward smile that looked a stark contrast to what she remembered about herself before the Leviathan. _But is that what I remember? _She shook her head, willing the paranoid thoughts out. She glanced back at the mirror, and saw Tiaan. But it looked wrong. She fingered her long locks of hair, absently moving her hand towards Carth's un-touched razor blade. She brought it up to the strands of hair in her hand, and in deft motion cut it off at her jaw line. She let the loose hair fall into the sink, watching it surround the drain, only to be swallowed whole by it.

* * *

Canderous entered the main hold of the Ebon Hawk with a cocky grin plastered on his face. _That'll make those Sith think twice,_ he thought smugly. "Hey, kid!" He called over to Mission, who was sorting through her pazaak cards glumly. The Wookie wasn't there, _probably in the cargo hold. Again. _"Did you find out happened, or what?"

Mission, who upon closer inspection looked fit to burst, slammed down her side deck and looked at the Mandalorian with a livid look on her face. "No!" She hollered, "It's so annoying! Carth won't say anything, and I haven't seen Ti or Jolee leave the dorm." She sighed and put her chin in her hands.

"So that's it?" Canderous was expecting more from the Twi'lek. The kid was curious to the point of exasperation. "You're just going to sit here, huh?"

"What else do you expect me to do, raid the food supplies like Big Z? Go talk to Flyboy yourself and see if you can get any answers from him!" She gestured widely towards the cockpit.

"Where's the Cat Lady?" He asked, referring to Juhani. Mission shrugged and muttered something about meditation while picking up the cards that came loose at her little outburst. Canderous nodded, not particularly caring and headed off to talk to Carth.

* * *

Carth had left the ship on autopilot, even though he was more than capable to handle a trip to Korriban. He needed to think. He was feeling uneasy – not only because it was a Sith planet, but because no doubt he would have to accompany Tiaan. Too many Jedi in one group would arouse suspicion, as would a Wookie and a droid. How was he supposed to work with her? Protect her? He couldn't even _look_ at her. What if she falls there? Bastila always said that Sith planets reeked of the Dark Side, and it was common knowledge how Revan was seduced by it's call once… Was now any different? Again, more memories of all the good deeds Tiaan did on their travels came into his mind, but the arrival of Canderous broke his reverie.

"Listen, Republic," Canderous growled, being utterly blunt as usual. "You're going to tell me what the Frack is going on Right Now, or else I'll shove a frag grenade so far up your ass you'll be crapping components for a week." He threatened menacingly.

Carth would have laughed at such a ridiculous warning if the current events weren't weighing so heavily upon his mind. He knew they had a right to know; the whole crew did. So why was he hiding it? A small voice in the back of his head whispered "Because you know it's not who she is – not anymore," but his paranoia quickly silenced it, urging him to warn more people of the treachery afoot. "We met Malak on the Leviathan," he began, fiddling with the controls, although there was little he could do when they were in Hyperspace. "He, uh, recognised Tiaan, as, as Revan." The finality of his voice was absolute. Carth heard an audible sigh of disbelief come from behind him.

"Wow, don't drop a _bomb _or anything…" The Mandalorian's voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Do you plan on telling the others or are you just going to sit there like a Bantha?"

"Of course I plan on telling everyone else!" Carth retorted, loudly. A little too loudly, for it brought Mission running in asking what the Force he was shouting about.

"Nothing, it's… It's nothing, just, I think we should wait until… Tiaan is ready." He said her name with deliberate emphasis. Canderous just grunted and ambled off to the main hold. Mission glared at Carth, hating being out of the loop. Carth, although he was angry, couldn't help but empathise with her.

Making sure the _Hawk _was still heading for Korriban, Carth followed Canderous and Mission into the Common Room, so to speak, of the ship. He stopped at the doorway to see Jolee quietly talking to… _Tiaan?_ But her hair… It was cut short, just below her jaw. It hung in limp curls, still damp from the refresher, that framed her face. Carth stayed at the door, examining her from a safe distance. She was wearing dark robes, he scrutinised, and she appeared to look better. Saner, at least. She was talking to the old Jedi with great concentration, but she must have felt his gaze upon her, for she jerked her head in his direction. Carth took a deep breath and started heading towards her. She looked alarmed, and flustered at a response to Jolee.

"I think it's time we told them," he said shortly, without expression. She looked down and nodded. "Well do you want to do it or should I?" Getting angry at her. _She doesn't even have the decency to look me in the eye! _

"No, I'll do it," she said quietly. Standing up, she turned towards her companions, who, by now, were aching to hear what happened. "I'm… I'm Revan." She said, thinking that, at any moment they'd turn on her.

"What!" Mission was the first to speak. "You're _Revan_! How… How is that even possible?"

Tiaan was expecting that answer. "Remember when Bastila boarded my… Revan's flagship, and Malak fired upon it, expecting the blast to kill two birds with one stone?" She nodded, a shocked look on her face. "Well, it didn't work. Bastila decided to bring Revan to the Jedi. They decided to erase her memory, and programme a new one, that of a smuggler, so she could subconsciously guide Bastila to the Star Forge by way of 'visions', although they were really memories."

"Woah." Was all the Twi'lek could mutter. "Woah." There was silence. Tiaan looked around uncomfortably at her crew. Mission still had her mouth wide open in shock, Juhani had a wide-eyed expression of disbelief. Canderous looked unfazed, and Carth refused to even glance at her, instead leaning on the door frame with his arms crossed defensivly. It was hard to tell what Zaalbar was thinking, the hair masked most expressions. But HK-47 looked almost pondering, curious. Tiaan shrugged that off, knowing well that robots can't show emotion. She distantly wondered where T3-M4 was, but a small whirr behind her told her what she needed to know. So far though, none of her companions looked angry, aside from Carth. She let a small ray of hope shine through.

"Do…" Mission stuttered, "Do you remember anything about being Revan?"

"Only memories, mostly hazy," she replied. Mission's face slipped into relief.

"Well, that's good, I mean, if you only remember bits of being Revan, there's nothing to be worried about, right?"

Carth broke from his disgruntled silence to turn on Mission. "Nothing to be worried about!" He yelled, "Revan destroyed my home planet, my wife, my family! She…" As Carth continued to berate Mission about all the things Revan did, Tiaan was visibly shrinking back into her chair, feeling more and more like she wanted a black hole to swallow her into oblivion.

Canderous interrupted him, noticing Tiaan's distress. "Everyone knows it was Malak who ordered Telos to be bombed, Carth, not Revan." Carth glowered at him and went back to leaning on the frame of the door. "Now, if everyone wouldn't _mind, _I'd like to discuss how we acquire the last Star Map, as it is on a Sith Planet and, y'know, there's a risk." He said, attempting to liven up the situation. Unsuccessfully.

"There's a risk everywhere we go, Sonny," Jolee said, sitting upright. "But you're right, there's no point moaning about what happened, what's done is done," he said pointedly towards Carth, who refused to acknowledge it. "What we need now is a plan."

"What about Bastila?" Juhani asked. "We can't just leave her to Malak."

"Malak is too strong," Tiaan replied, "We wouldn't be able to take him, I almost died fighting him on the Leviathan." _Blessed oblivion_, a small voice thought. "Our best plan," she continued, ignoring the voice, "is to get the last Star Map and get to the Star Forge as quickly as possible. No doubt he's holding her there." Instinctively, she reached out over their Force bond, but there was no response. After having it for so long, she felt exposed without it.

At her words, everyone looked at each other doubtfully. They all knew how headstrong Bastila was, how susceptible she was to the Dark Side. No-one worded it though, they were too afraid. With Bastila's Battle Meditation, Malak would be unstoppable.

"I think I should accompany you in Korriban," Jolee said to Tiaan, who nodded gratefully. "No offence meant Juhani, but the lure of the Dark Side is strong in Korriban, and I don't think you're strong enough yet." Juhani nodded solemnly. Tiaan looked at the Cathar and saw a hint of hurt in her feline eyes. She made a mental note to have a proper talk with Juhani soon. She idly wondered why Jolee was suddenly acting like leader of the crew when before he tried to be as neutral as possible, but to be honest; it was refreshing to not have to make most of the decisions herself. Standing up, she met the eyes of the old Jedi and indicated that she was leaving. He nodded minutely, before talking strategies and how long they should stay on Korriban before leaving. She headed towards the garage, ignoring the confused glances of her companions as she walked by.

She let out a small sigh of relief when she entered the garage, glad that they took it well. She took her lightsaber out and began taking it apart; something she always did to calm her down. She examined the crystal she stumbled upon in Dantooine- the one that was specially attuned to her – curious whether or not it would change, now that she knew who she was. It still felt the same, so she put it to one side, and looked over the other ones.

Tiaan was overly proud of her lightsaber. She had decided on crafting a double-bladed one; something Master Zhar cautioned against for it was difficult to master. Tiaan, however, was exceptionally proficient (Although she realised now that she probably would have mastered it as Revan), and Master Zhar admitted to being wrong, something she secretly relished. Being a Sentinel, the obvious colour choice was a yellow crystal, but, after noting the violet hue of a Padawan's saber she sparred with, a changing of tradition was in order. But it wasn't the colour that Tiaan so dearly loved about her Lightsaber, nor the hilt (which suited her fighting style – Makashi – extremely well), but the _power_ of it. Not only did it contain her crystal that tuned itself to her skills and training, but she found that the Krayt dragon pearl she picked up in Tatooine made for an all-round commanding Saber.

She had just put it back together, inherently calmer, to see HK-47 stalk in; blaster rifle aimed and ready. Tiaan had told him time and time again that it was really rather rare that an enemy would be on board the _Hawk_, but once an assassin droid, always an assassin droid.

"Commentary: I am… experiencing something unusual, master." It said, sounding hesitant.

"Why?" She asked, worried. "What's happening?"

"Answer: My programming is activating deleted memory core. I believe I have a… a homing device system that is restoring it, master."

"HK, you know how terrible I am at all this computer mumbo jumbo." She sighed. "What's your homing system?"

"Observation: My homing system is a function of my assassination protocols… that which I told you had been deactivated. This system was not. It seems that the homing system deliberately restores my deleted memory core upon… upon returning to my original master."

Tiaan couldn't believe her ears. "You mean… Revan?"

"Affirmation: Correct master. Sith protocols maintain that all droid knowledge be deleted before assassination missions; and restored upon return. I have returned to you, and my full functionality is now under your personal command. It is a distinct pleasure to see you again, master."

"Wow, what are the chances of that happening?"

"Estimation: Around three million to one, master." HK answered quickly.

Tiaan decided against explaining the idea of a rhetorical question, and instead decided on a headshake of bemusement. "Listen, HK, I feel I should tell you that… Well, I'm not exactly Revan anymore…"

"Assumption: I was under the supposition that you were going to use the name, at least master, for it is your birth-name." She couldn't deny that he had a point. _But I doubt anyone would really enjoy calling me by that name… _

"Observation:" HK-47 continued, "The fact you may not retain the exact persona does not matter, master. I am your droid, regardless of your actions or personality."

Tiaan smiled, genuinely, for she was glad that she still had HK-47, even if he was a little… eccentric. "That means a lot, HK, thank-you."

"Signing off." He responded, allowing Tiaan to ponder fully on the whole name issue. Would it really be such a bad thing if she requested that people started calling her Revan? Of course it would be difficult for her crew – her _friends _– to understand, but after learning the truth of her past, she thought of name 'Tiaan' as something fake; it wasn't her. The name Revan, on the other hand. Technically it was her. Sure, she wasn't Dark Lord of the Sith, but she used to be known as Revan _before_ that time, too.

She ran an agitated hand through her hair, a little surprised at just how much she cut off. She had never been a particularly vain person, but a quick look into one of the many reflective surfaces on the ship told her that cutting her hair off that much was not her brightest idea. The curls seemed to take control of her face, and although she herself knew her reasons for it – the long hair felt too much like part of the Council's lie – she felt… exposed with such short hair. Pushing the thought out of her mind, she wondered whether Jolee had wrapped up the meeting or not. That question was answered soon enough when she turned the corner and crashed straight into Carth.

* * *

Carth had left the gathering as soon as he could, not bothering to converse with the others about the shocking revelations learnt, mainly because he didn't want to talk about what he already knew all about. In truth, he was put out at Jolee's sudden leap to leadership just when he was finally declaring the source of his anger. Instead of joining into the conversation; something he normally would have been delighted to share his thoughts, he simply stood near the door and smouldered. He barely even listened; only catching snatches of the discussion. When Jolee told everyone to prepare to land (Since when did _he_ give that order, anyway?), he quickly departed for the cargo hold with every intention of getting that stash of Tarisian Ale that Canderous, in a rare flash of genius, stole from Davik's estate back on the now destroyed planet of Taris. But his plans were erased from his mind when he crashed into the one that was causing him so much grief.

He looked down at her, even annoyed at how short she was. "Excuse me," He said pushing past her, trying with all his might to be polite, but a hint of his vehemence showed in his tone.

"Carth," She said quietly, putting a hand on his arm. "We need to talk."

"No," he said, turning around furiously, his face a mask of anger. "No, we don't need to talk. You and I; we have nothing to say to each other." He pulled his arm away.

"You know we do, Carth," She replied, still quiet. Carth idly noticed how her short hair shone in the faint light, how pale and tired she looked in contrast to the glowing, smiling face he remembered… _No, _he thought, shaking his head. _Don't think stuff like that._ He made to walk away, but stopped himself, instead deciding on telling her what he decided when Jolee was talking about Korriban.

"I'm coming with you to the Sith academy." He said, not turning to face her. He could sense her confusion. "Don't think anything of it," he continued, "I made a promise to protect you from what's going to come, and I'm not one to just… to just give up on my duties; my _promises._" He said with a tone of derision in his voice. He stalked off, his mind telling him that he was too harsh, but a couple of bottles of Taris' finest would soon silence that.

Later on that night, when all the others were asleep, and Carth had drunk enough to feel more than a little light-headed, he heard something come from the dormitories. Stumbling over to the source of the sound, he discovered it was coming from _her_ door. She was crying. It didn't take a genius to tell she was trying to muffle it with her pillow, but the sound of her misery seeped through. It tore at Carth's heart enough to outstretch his hand to the door. He willed himself to open it, but he pulled back his hand as if it stung him, realising what he was about to do – comfort the enemy! And with that, he staggered back to his drink, leaving Revan to her desolation – a soliloquy of despair and grief.

* * *

_**(More) Author's Notes: **Whew! It's approx. 2 in the morning, and oh, I'm so glad I finished this chapter. Sorry for the delay, but being in my final year of school is a difficult business, I tell ya. Anyway, I have a few notes on this I'd like to mention before I go to sleep XD _

_First of all, in case you were wondering, yes, I deliberately refrained from using Tiaan's name in the first part, as I wanted to display the idea that at that time, she had no idea of who she was. I toyed with the idea of having it as a stand-alone chapter (called "She". How original.) But I thought it would have just been extremely lazy of me. _

_Next up, I honestly can't remember if you can break down frag grenades into components (I'm talking KOTOR2 here), alright? So don't hurt me if you're a diehard KOTOR fan, I just thought it sounded like something Canderous would say…_

_And yeah, I decided to give Tiaan/Revan a crystal much like Exile's one, as I thought it would just be deadly to include, cause I love that crystal. _

_Yeah, yeah, I know Revan canonically only wielded a single hilt lightsaber, and normally anything other than canon makes me have a fit, but shh, double-bladed lightsabers are kewl. :D And anyway, KOTOR2 has her using TWO lightsabers. HMM? _

_And kindly review, tell me what you think, criticise, tell me it's great, tell me its crap, whatever! I thrive on feedback – without it I'll never improve! So yeah. Force Persuadeyou want me to improve. _


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's Notes: **I just wanted to thank all the people that added this story to their favourites, or their alert list, or even added me to their alerts list! I also want to thank the people who reviewed - you guys are the greatest. 3 _

* * *

**IV**

_Tiaan and Carth sat in companionable silence, the great trees of Kashyyyk surrounding them; enveloping them in the sounds of the tropical planet. Tiaan, being impatient by nature, normally would have gone insane waiting for Zaalbar, but being in such humid surroundings seemed to calm her; almost as though she could have waited all day for her Wookie friend to finish discussing the future of Rwookrrorro village with his long-lost father._

_Lying on the floor of the balcony over-looking the village, Tiaan was gazing up into the sky, trying to catch a glimpse of the Kashyyyk sun through the treetops. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Carth trying to catch a glimpse at _her_. She propped herself up on her elbows and raised her eyebrow at him. Carth smiled and looked innocent. _

"_You look like you have something to say." Tiaan said, grinning._

"_Oh you can tell, can you?" He questioned, taking his blaster out of its holster to inspect it, earning a few unfriendly glares from the Wookies around them. _

"_It doesn't take Jedi powers to read a man," Tiaan laughed, "Believe me." _

"_Oh yeah?" Carth shook his blaster at her, "Well listen, Beautiful, I don't need to take this abuse. I get enough female Jedi bashing from Bastila, thank you very much." Tiaan snorted at the mention of the prim Jedi. _

"_What are you going to do about it?" Arrogance was plastered all over her face._

"_Wouldn't you like to know," He ignored her frenzied nods of affirmation, and continued, "Just you wait. I promise it'll be good." _

"_You love the attention, admit it." _

"_You think so? I could probably get the same kind of attention from a blaster." He said, examining his in a very scrupulous manner. _

_Tiaan settled back down to stare up at the treetops again, "Oh, I think there's things I can do that a blaster can't." She smiled at the sound of Carth spluttering, secretly thrilled at his concealed embarrassment. _

"_Anyway," he coughed, "As fun as this, uh, is, I do have to talk to you about something serious." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Really serious. Uh, is this a good time?"_

_Tiaan sat up properly and turned around to face him fully. Sitting on a crate, Carth was a good foot up from her, but the seriousness in his tone of voice matched that with the look on his face. "Of course this a good time, what's this about?" _

"_It's about you," he said. Tiaan raised her eyebrows in surprise. _Always frank and to the point, that Carth, _she thought. He continued on, "I'm worried about what might happen to you. You have a, a lot of courage, and the fact you've remained strong is amazing, but there's even greater danger ahead." He took a deep breath, as though steadying himself. "I think you may be setting yourself up for a fall. Maybe at the urging of the Jedi, I don't know… But you're definitely going to become a target." Rubbing the back of his neck, he seemed to struggle to find the right words. "If uh… If I'm going to find some purpose beyond taking revenge on Saul, then it's going to have to be in protecting you. I don't know why, but I think some terrible fate is waiting for you. I think the Jedi council knows it, too. And I don't want that to come to pass."_

_Tiaan's head was reeling. _What does he mean that the Jedi set me up? _"You think the Jedi have thrown me to the wolves?" She asked._

"_Don't chalk it up to my paranoia just yet. Something isn't right. I uh… Blamed it on you before, but I… I think the Jedi didn't tell us everything. If I'm going to live past Saul, I need you to as well." He took her hand in his. Tiaan felt as though her heart was in her throat. "Let me protect you… From yourself, from the Sith. You have to let me try."_

_Still surprised, she managed to ask, "Why are you doing this?" _

"_Because…" Carth sighed, rubbing his free hand across his forehead. "Because I never got the chance to save my wife and son. Because I didn't stop Saul when I had the chance. Because I finally have the chance to do it right." Staring at her straight in the eye, he continued. "You are an extraordinary woman. You make me think that maybe I might have some purpose beyond revenge." He let go of her hand. "I don't know if it means anything to you, but it does to me."_

_Tiaan smiled a small smile that lifted Carth's heart. "It means the world to me Carth. Thank-you." _

_Carth beamed, his relief evident. "I'm… I'm glad to hear that. I'll do my best." _

_

* * *

_

Curled up in her bunk with the sheets wrapped tightly around her like a cocoon, Tiaan smiled bitterly at the memory. How simple it was back then. The Kashyyyk Star Map was their fourth, just before they were captured by the Leviathan. She remembered walking into the _Hawk _with Zaalbar and Carth after business was finished on Kashyyyk. She and Carth walked side by side the entire time, barely an inch apart. Bastila had commented on it later that night, as they were meditating. She warned her against relationships, stating that they only led to the Dark Side. Tiaan simply nodded and agreed, but in her mind, all she could think about Carth and his promise.

Carth's promise still remained, but it was tainted by his hatred. Tiaan willed herself not to cry, but to no avail. It was all becoming too much to bear. The loss of Bastila affected her greatly. Used to having Bastila near her always for council and support, it felt like a part of her was gone. The bond that was always there between them was silent. It was almost as though Bastila was dead. No feelings penetrated through in Tiaan's consciousness. No feelings, thoughts or memories could be extracted from the nothing that Tiaan sensed on the other end of the bond.

A knock on her door broke Tiaan's reverie. "Come in," she croaked, her voice sore from the tears she shed. Juhani entered, and Tiaan realised she had been holding her breath, for fear that Carth would be the one knocking. She couldn't deal with him, not now.

"Juhani," She said, sitting up, and wiping her eyes quickly, and attempting a smile for her friend. Her trauma was something private, and even though it was obvious to everyone around her how she felt, Tiaan was a Jedi at heart, and she wanted to display herself as such – with as little outbursts of emotion as possible. "What brings you here?" Motioning for her to sit down at the end of her bunk.

"I wanted to see if you were alright," Juhani said with deliberate carefulness as she sat down. "Carth said…"

Tiaan interrupted her, all too aware of the fact that if she talked about Carth, she would probably start crying again. "Oh, Carth said nothing for you to be worried about," She smiled, forcing every muscle to do so. "Actually, I've been meaning to talk to you myself. About Korriban." Juhani nodded, and Tiaan continued. "I know Jolee told you that you weren't strong enough to go, and I think… he may be right." Juhani shoulders drooped from their normally stoic position. "The Dark Side will be over-powering there," She continued, putting as much sympathy into her words as she could. "Korriban is a planet covered with the Sith, and I'm afraid if you're exposed to it, you may fall once more. Even being in Dreshdae might be over-whelming for you."

"I know," Juhani sighed, "You're doing what's best for me, and I appreciate that immensely. But I'm worried for you, also." She stared into Tiaan's eyes, her own showing her fear. "What if you should fall there, after hearing of your true past?"

Juhani voiced a fear that had resided in Tiaan's mind since she found out she was Revan. "There is always that fear, wherever I go," Tiaan whispered. "And I'm not saying that I'm stronger than you in that respect, because I didn't come back to the Light willingly, like you did." Juhani smiled modestly, bowing her head in thanks. "The council had to create a whole new identity for me, to siphon off the Dark Side from me. But the fear of the Dark Side resides in all Jedi, everywhere we go – the temptations are all around us. But it is the strength of the Light that we draw from to help us steer clear of that path, and I believe we are both strong enough to stay on the road of the Light Side. Having saying that, however," She added, "I would feel better knowing you were safe in Dreshdae, where no harm can come of you. I'm not ready for you to leave me yet." She smiled.

"Thank you, Tiaan. It means a lot to me, to hear you say that." Standing up, Juhani headed for the door, "Oh, we are arriving at Korriban soon, Carth," saying his name delicately, she smiled sheepishly. "Told me to tell you."

"I'd better get ready, so." Tiaan muttered, staring at the dark robes that hung before her, lost in her thoughts. Barely hearing the door close behind Juhani, she stood up and headed towards the clothes she had laid out in preparation for Korriban. Her usual brown robes wouldn't do at all – they were like a beacon for the Sith; alerting them that a Jedi was near. Instead, she had rummaged through her belongings and found these robes that she lifted from a Sith corpse. When she originally took them, she was actually hoping to get a few credits in trade for the robes. She had not expected to be needing them at all, let alone to emulate a fallen Jedi.

Shrugging on the robes, she looked into the mirror to see a small, forlorn figure in black wrapping, looking straight back at her. _Is this what I looked like, just before my fall? _She had seen holocrons of Revan – herself, she corrected tersely, at the height of her and Malak's power, and the mask and robes she wore were infamous. _When did I decide to hide behind a mask? _Obviously she hid to invoke fear; no fear was greater than that of the unknown. Her thoughts were cut off abruptly, however, when a wrenching pain sliced through her mind. Crying out in agony, Tiaan hurled herself to the floor, clutching her head.

Canderous was the first to run in. Shouting for Jolee, he tore across the room to Tiaan, and tried to stop her from her current act – clawing at her face in sheer desperation. "Jolee!" He screamed above her cries, "Get in here NOW!"

By now, the rest of the crew had arrived at the doorway, too shocked to move. The old Jedi shoved his way past them, and knelt down next to the shrieking Jedi and the Mandalorian. He motioned for Canderous to stop Tiaan's frantic clawing, and took out a small vial of liquid from a pouch in his belt. He opened it and held it under her nose. It seemed to do the trick, for Tiaan slumped into Canderous' arms and fell silent.

"What the Force was that?" Canderous asked incredulously.

"Some of your Tarisian ale, left to uh… mature." Jolee chuckled, then turned towards the unconscious Jedi. "Tiaan," he muttered, "Wake up." Everyone in the room felt a little hazy at the amount of persuasion in his voice.

Tiaan stirred. "Ow," She whispered, holding her head. Looking at Jolee, she turned her head up towards Canderous, alarmed. "How did I end up on the…" It suddenly dawned on her. "Bastila!" She shrieked. "Bastila's hurt!" She struggled to stand, but Canderous held her down at Jolee's signal.

"What do you mean?" Mission gasped, falling ahead of the others at the door. "Did you feel it through that Force bond thing?"

Tiaan nodded. "Malak's torturing her," She said, despairingly. Nobody answered. "We have to help her!" She shouted, her voice going hoarse.

"What do you expect us to do?" A voice from the door asked. Tiaan's blood froze. Carth walked in front of Mission, his every movement that of anger. "We don't even know where Malak is keeping her, and you very nearly died on the _Leviathan_ facing him! How do you expect to rescue Bastila in the condition you're in now?!" Tiaan grudgingly admitted she had a point. She suddenly became very aware of the scrape marks on her face. "The only way we can help Bastila," Carth continued, "is by getting the last Star Map."

"Carth's right, Tiaan," Jolee said. The others nodded in agreement. Sighing heavily, Tiaan stood up, dimly aware of the sudden weight she felt on her shoulders. Nodding in response to Carth, she slowly headed for the door, using the Force to bring her lightsaber towards her. The crew of the _Ebon Hawk_ moved aside without a word, letting her past.

After a moment's silence, a small whirr could be heard. "T3 says that Dreshdae is giving us clearance to land," Mission translated for the droid. Carth had been staring at the spot Tiaan had been, apparently lost in thought. "Carth?" Mission asked delicately. "Did you hear what T3 said?"

"Hm?" Breaking out of his trance, he nodded, "Yeah, uh, yeah, I did. Alright, everyone. Get ready to land." And with that, he left the room. Jolee and Juhani followed, exchanging significant glances with each other. Zaalbar, Mission and Canderous all looked at each other and raised their eyes skyward. _Jedi. _

* * *

_**Author's Notes: **Reviews are greatly appreciated, my dear reader. wink wink_

_I got a little preachy with Tiaan's speech on the Light Side, huh? Bahahaha, never mind. Update should be coming up later on tonight! _


	5. Chapter 5

**V**

"She's an excellent actress." Jolee muttered out of the side of his mouth.

Carth, who had been staring into space, turned towards the Jedi. "What?"

Jolee nodded towards Tiaan, who was a few paces away; talking spiritedly to Yuthura Ban. They had spent the better part of a day searching for someone, anyone, to help them get into the academy. They found that someone in Yuthura Ban; apprentice to the Sith Master at the academy, Uthar Wynn. When they found Yuthura, the Twi'lek had been less than compliant to listen to what Tiaan had to say. Apparently fallen Jedi were fairly common on Korriban, and it was doubtful that Tiaan would get in on that premise. However, a few subtle, persuasive comments soon had the two women talking as though they were old friends. "What do you mean, a good actress?" Carth asked, confused at the remark.

"Well, look at her!" Jolee answered, motioning at her. "You saw her on the ship, she was an absolute mess. The second we got off the _Hawk, _though, she was a completely different person. Why, I don't think that poor Czerka guard will ever stand straight," He chuckled. Carth gave him a reprimanding look. He never did feel entirely comfortable with women using their… feminine wiles to get out of paying for clearance to land, especially Tiaan. "Just look at her, when she comes back. _Really_ look at her; into her eyes. There's only pain in her eyes, but the smile she's showing is distracting everyone from the truth."

Carth shifted feet and folded his arms, muttering in compliance, but knowing himself that he won't bother. Instead, he resumed his mindless staring. The cantina they were in, aptly named "The Drunk Side" seemed to be the main hub of business for pilots in Dreshdae. His eyes lingered over to the Pazaak table, and smiled slightly at the memory of Tiaan becoming Pazaak champ back on Taris. Chiding himself for remembering so fondly, he began to eavesdrop on the two pilots sitting at a table beside them.

"Sure, I had to haul a spacer load of artefacts for that Sith, an' I only got a fraction of what they promised me!"

"But you know not to question…"

"Tha's right, I know not to question them, but Force, do I want to!"

"What artefacts did you have to haul, anyway? Anthin' good?"

"Dunno, some holo-thingies from that valley in the academy. Not really sure. Don' really care."

Carth stopped listening. So there are Sith artefacts in a valley? He was all ready to tell Tiaan, but then remembered of his anger with her, and so decided to let Jolee pass on the message. Just then, however, he noticed Yuthura hand Tiaan a small disc. The Twi'lek saluted, smiled and left, barging straight through himself and Jolee. As Tiaan headed over to them, her smile she had on the entire time she conversed with the Sith vanished.

"We're in." She said, devoid of emotion. Jolee nodded, and patted her on the back, in silent congratulations. Carth though, made the mistake of looking directly into her eyes. He was shocked, to say the least. Her once sparkling eyes were now dull in colour. They seemed to lack any of the glint he was so accustomed to. Jolee was right; all Carth could see was pain. He tore his gaze away from her and looked at his feet, trying to forgot the emptiness he saw.

"Good job," He said, using his 'captain' voice; one that earned the respect of many men in the Republic. Tiaan, however, simply nodded and walked out of the cantina. Carth looked at Jolee, who had exasperation written all over his face. Carth doubted the old Jedi would ever get used to young people.

Following Tiaan, he left the Drunk Side, nodding politely to the spacers he had eavesdropped on but moments ago. As he walked by them, he could hear one of them mutter "He looks fairly familiar, don't he?" To which the other responded, "Looks like one of them Sith that comes in here, I reckon."

Carth was curious as to who this Sith was, who looked so like him, but all thoughts vanished from his mind when he bumped into Tiaan and Jolee, who had stopped dead in their tracks.

Looking over their shoulder he saw three, what looked to be (Judging from their uniforms), Sith. They all looked a bit young, but Carth sensed trouble, and trouble was the last thing you wanted on a Sith world.

"Well, don't we think we're brilliant for getting a medallion from Headtails." One of them, a tall boy with shocking blonde hair, sneered. Clearly he didn't think much of the Twi'lek Tiaan had left with the very special title of 'friend'.

Carth knew fighting these Sith would be a bad idea, but it seemed inevitable. Yet Tiaan seemed in no mood to fight. Sighing, she lifted her left hand and as she moved it across the Sith, she said quietly "You do not wish to fight." A glazed expression came over the three men, and they all mumbled that they did not want to fight. "You will leave this place." She continued. Bumping into each other as they hastened to do her bidding, Carth looked at her. While he knew next to nothing about the ways of the Force, it was clear of how powerful Tiaan had become. It was almost as though the revelation of her identity had made her stronger. Then again, her biggest handicap _was_ her loss of self.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he hurried to catch up to his companions, who were already heading out of the Dreshdae door towards the academy. They stepped out into the acrid, searing surface of Korriban. Carth looked around, incredulous that the Sith had decided to reside here. It seemed like such a wasteland to him. _Reminiscent of Telos. _The reflection popped into his mind, startling Carth. Telos probably _was_ quite similar to Korriban, in terms of planet surface.

A couple of protocol droids hurried past them as they walked across a small bridge. The Academy was in plain sight, and peering, Carth could see some figures at the door. His sense of foreboding back, he readied his blasters. _Just in case._

"Halt!" A Sith barked at Tiaan, who had been walking towards three of the figures Carth had seen. They all look emaciated. "Who are you?" The Sith asked, sneering.

"Prospective student. These are my servants." Tiaan replied curtly, motioning towards Jolee and Carth. Carth snorted at the thought of being Tiaan's servant, but quickly turned it into a cough. The Sith looked at him curiously, and then at Jolee, who had been smiling, obviously on the same wavelength as Carth, before turning back to Tiaan. "What are these men doing?" She asked.

"Trying to get into the academy," The Sith had tried to say that seriously, but couldn't help laughing. "Between you and me," He said, lowering his voice, "They'll never get in! Those fools think being a Sith is all about endurance." He burst into another tirade of laughter. "If they're so mindless to follow an order like 'stand there for three days', they'll never be a Sith."

Carth felt sorry for them, but secretly agreed of their ignorance. Surely they couldn't actually believe the Sith when he said they'd get in? Shooting a glance at his companions, he saw Jolee; face impassive, but Tiaan looked livid. He saw her get her emotions in check, and turn away from the Sith, continuing to head towards the 'prospective Sith'. Carth made to follow, but Jolee held out his arm, stopping him. "This'll do her some good," he muttered. "She needs to feel able to help people right now."

It seemed to be working, whatever Tiaan was saying to them. One left, shaking his head in disappointment. Another soon followed, but the last man, a tall fellow with thick brown hair, began shouting about how she was sent as a test, and he wouldn't fail. He fell to the floor, unconscious. It was then that the Sith commander noticed what Tiaan had done and rushed over. "What the Force did you do?!" He screamed.

Tiaan merely walked by, flashing the guard by the door her medallion she received from Yuthura. She didn't respond to the Sith; just walked straight into the Academy. Jolee muttered something about his 'unstable master' to the Sith and followed her inside, with Carth right behind him.

* * *

"So… He seemed nice." Jolee said cheerfully. Tiaan continued looking straight ahead, ignoring Jolee's comment. Carth, however, looked back at him, as if to make sure that comment was indeed sarcastic. 

And indeed, it had to be. Uthar Wynn was anything but a nice man. He reeked of Sith arrogance, and his disregard for anything but the Sith ideals disgusted Carth. He knew his companions felt the same way; Jolee's sarcasm was manifest, and while Tiaan acted as though they shared the same ideals, she couldn't help but question them slightly. Uthar commended her for having the audacity to interrogate him, and Carth couldn't help but feel somewhat proud of her, but that feeling was ignored soon enough when Uthar began talk of gaining prestige.

It all felt very alien to Carth, having to collect Artefacts and do different tasks to gain favour with Uthar, but the way he explained it, it sounded as though this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. The other prospective students gazed at the Sith Lord, almost in adoration. Carth had stolen a glance at Tiaan, who was barely there. Her eyes were glazed over and she didn't seem to be paying attention. _Lost in her desolation…_ He thought, unknowingly pitying her.

"We should start immediately." Tiaan said, when they arrived at the small hollow that would be their bedroom for the duration of their stay. "We're running out of time, and Bastila needs our help." Both Jolee and Carth murmured their consent, and checked their equipment.

"I don't suppose this place has a weaponry," Carth murmured, more to himself, as he inspected his poor revamping of his blasters. "My blasters could use some proper repair work."

"I'm pretty sure I saw one back in Dreshdae," Jolee responded, "It wouldn't take too long to go up and replenish our supplies?" He looked at Tiaan for approval on the subject. "I myself am running low on medpacs."

"Yes, let's go." Tiaan, who had been changing the crystal in her lightsaber to a crimson hue, extinguished her blade and put it away.

As they made their way back to the entrance of the Sith academy, Carth began to trail behind, taking in as much as he could of their ways, recording every single thing he saw in his mind, knowing that it could be imperative to the war. As he made his way through the halls, evading the newest Sith who seemed over-eager in their trainings with weapons, something caught his eye, or rather, some_one_.

Carth caught his breath, barely daring to hope. Fixated on the solitary figure at the end of the corridor, he made his way there, dimly aware of Tiaan and Jolee questioning his actions. As he came closer, the figure looked at him, and appeared to recognise him. The figure began making his own way to Carth, whose heart was in his throat. "Dustil?" Carth managed to croak.

* * *

Tiaan stifled a gasp. Carth had talked about his son often, when he reminisced about Telos, but she had always assumed Dustil was dead, like his mother. Seeing the young man standing before her though, it was undeniable the resemblance between father and son. But while Carth looked thrilled at the discovery of his son, Dustil had a look of utter rage.

Carth now looked unsure. "Dustil? Don't you remember? It's me…"

"I know who you are, _father_," Dustil spat, "But I'm hesitant to even use that word, considering I haven't seen you in so long."

This was obviously not the reaction Carth was expecting. "Dustil, you know had I known that you were alive I would have…"

"Please," Dustil cut off across his father angrily, "You abandoned Mother and I on Telos; why would I believe the lies coming out of your mouth right now? You know that Mother died that day?" To Tiaan, the question seemed more like an accusation.

"Yes, I did," Carth said, grief etched into his very eyes, "I held her as she died, Dustil. And I couldn't find you anywhere – I had to presume you died, too."

"Well you presumed wrong!" Dustil shouted. "You're not my father anymore – you're not my family. The Sith are my family now."

"Dustil, the Sith are evil! They're corrupt! No, as your father I'm not allowing it."

"At least the Sith didn't abandon me for dead!"

A couple of Sith at the other end of the corridor looked up, obviously wondering what all the shouting was about. Tiaan, who had noticed the unwanted attention they were getting, decided it was time to interject.

"Dustil, the Sith are a blight on this galaxy, you have to listen to your father."

Dustil looked at her as if she were something particularly nasty on the sole of his boot. "I don't take orders from a _Jedi_." He sneered. "In fact, I should report you to Uthar right now." He made to leave, but Jolee stepped in front of him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Sonny." Jolee said, his hand resting on his Lightsaber. Dustil sneered, but must have realised the threat, for he stood back, glowering.

"Listen to me Dustil, the Sith are the ones that bombed Telos, they're the ones that killed your mother." Carth said, his voice laced with desperation.

"You don't even have proof," Dustil retorted.

"We can get proof," Tiaan exclaimed, using subtle persuasion. Dustil appeared to wrestle with it, before finally nodding in submission.

"Fine, get me some proof that the Sith are evil," he said with a rather disbelieving tone, "and I'll think about not telling Uthar your reasons for being here."

"Where exactly were you planning on getting proof, anyway?" Jolee asked when they'd left Dustil to his brooding. Tiaan simply nodded towards her new 'friend', Yuthura Ban, who was waving Tiaan over happily. "Ah," Jolee mused, "I presume more persuasion will be needed?"

"I don't know," Tiaan murmured, faking a smile and waving towards the Twi'lek. "I reckon Yuthura is a bit taken with me. It could be easier than you imagine."

* * *

Instead of giving them the bare information they required, Yuthura had instead given them something they never even considered. When they came over to her, the Twi'lek had something for Tiaan to do, something that would 'benefit them both'. 

"The only reason I'm telling you this," She explained quietly to Tiaan, "is because I believe you're the only one out of this miserable bunch of Prospectives that will actually make it to the final test.

What I want you to do is sprinkle some of this," She held up a small crystal bottle with a pale blue liquid inside, "on his pillow. It will weaken him sufficiently enough for you and I to kill him. He is not deserving of all this power," She said spitefully. "Here's the key that will grant you access to his chambers, go quickly friend." And with that, she left them staring, confused, at the key card.

"Do you reckon we'll find anything in Uthar's rooms that will help us with Dustil?" Carth asked.

"Only one way to find out." Tiaan said, making her way up to the chambers of Uthar.

When they got there, Tiaan looked around before opening the door, making sure the coast was clear before entering. The door opened with the quiet grating noise of the stones moving. Entering slowly Tiaan scanned the large room for traps. Not finding any, she made her way directly to the drawers and footlockers, inspecting each one. Carth and Jolee joined in, looking for any evidence whatsoever of the Sith's wrong-doings. Their search was looking fruitless until Carth let out a triumphant cheer before tossing a datapad over to Jolee, indicating him to read it. Scanning it quickly, Jolee quickly explained the contents of the datapad to Tiaan, who checked it over.

"Yes, it seems as though this is sufficient enough evidence for Dustil." She said, making her way to the door.

"Wait, Tiaan," Jolee called. "Aren't you going to… Do as Yuthura asked?" Tiaan looked at the bed and then at the poison in her hand, before shaking her head.

"Poisoning someone seems too much like a Sith act." She said simply, before leaving the room.

Making their way back to Dustil, Carth mentally prepared what he was going to say. The contents of the Datapad would surely upset his son, and it needed to be said in a delicate manner.

Dustil looked surprised at their speedy return. "You're giving up already father?" He sneered.

"No, Dustil, we've got your evidence." Carth said quietly. "Did you know a girl called Selene?"

Dustil jolted at the name. "Y-yes, but they said she was relocated, she was sent somewhere else."

"They lied to you, son," Dustil threw him over the datapad. "It says right there that Uthar had your friend Selene killed because she was debilitating your progress. Are they really the type of people you'd want to call family?"

Dustil shook his head, trying to wrap his mind around this revelation. "No… No, it can't be… They… they can't have done this… Oh, Selene, I'm so sorry…" He put his head in his hands and stayed that way for a full minute. Finally he looked up at Carth. "I'm sorry, Father. I'm sorry for all the things I said."

Jolee motioned at Tiaan to give Carth and his son some privacy. As they made their way back to their little hollow, Tiaan said, "I'm going to head down to the Valley and start on getting those Artefacts."

"Oh, I'll join you. These old bones are aching for some exercise. We spent far too long on that ship." Jolee said, heading for the Valley exit.

"No, Jolee, you stay and tell Carth. Keep an eye on Dustil. We may have turned him away from the Dark Side for now, but you know how easy it is to succumb." She muttered, with a distant look in her eyes, before she turned and with a swish of her robes she was around the corner and gone. Jolee sighed heavily in exasperation, and contented himself in waiting for Carth to finish talking with his son.

* * *

_**Author's note: **In case you couldn't tell – No, I did not have any reference whatsoever to Dustil's reasons for hating Carth. I just took what little I remembered and ran with it. _

_Next Chapter: Battle ensues! Death! Hurt! Romance! Carth! Revan! Exclamation mark! _


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's Notes: **lol. I am such a liar, telling you all that I'll update the next day. But yeah. I like this chapter, and there's some Carth/Revan fluff in it, cause people were asking. _

**

* * *

**

**VI**

As Tiaan made her way down the steep hill, she shielded her eyes from the harsh sun. Squinting through the dazzling light, she looked around the Valley of the Dark Lords.

Having gotten so used to the lush terrain of Manaan and Kashyyyk, this wasteland was a shock. It didn't look as though anything could grow in the rocky ground. Proud obelisks stood tall in the centre of the Valley; and Tiaan could make out archaeologists digging at their base. In fact, Tiaan noticed as she scanned the Valley, archaeologists were everywhere. As she walked down, she caught the eye of one of the digging team. He gave a polite nod, and she returned the gesture.

Looking around at the huge Sith tombs, she tried to settle on which one to go into first. She had already made the decision that she would get as many artefacts as she possibly could – all the more chance of succeeding, she reasoned. She had heard enough about the tombs and their contents from Uthar Wynn, and so knew that Naga Sadow's tomb was off-limits until the final test. Tiaan had was convinced that the Star Map was in that tomb, and she was determined to get off this planet as soon as possible. Ever since the discovery of her true identity, Tiaan had been terrified of falling to the Dark Side, and being on Korriban was certainly not boosting her confidence. The memories of her former life were coming more and more often. They were hazy, but still there. Kneading her forehead with her hands, Tiaan tried to ignore the building pressure behind her eyes, and tried to focus on the task at hand.

Shaking her head free of such thoughts, she headed towards the tomb directly in front her. The door of Ajunta Pall's tomb grated open and Tiaan went inside, igniting her Lightsaber as she went.

* * *

"You know, you'd be a lot less annoying if you stopped pacing." Jolee observed, his eyes half open as he lay on the bed, watch Carth walk back and forth across the small room, if it could be called that. 

"Very funny," Carth retorted, although his tone of voice spoke differently. In truth, he was not trying to be deliberately annoying; the talk he just had with Dustil had invigorated him. Sure, their relationship was nowhere near normal, and they left each other on shaky ground, but Dustil had agreed to meet him on Telos when all this was over. Having thought his son dead all these years, Carth felt an overwhelming joy envelope him. So much so that he momentarily forgot his anger with Tiaan, and was anxiously waiting for her return so he could thank her. "Remind me again why we can't just follow her?"

Jolee sighed, frustrated at having to repeat himself. "Because we're her servants, and only Sith and prospective Sith can enter the Valley." He said as though talking to a child.

"That's ridiculous," Carth said.

"Would you allow a complete stranger come into your home and loot through your stuff?" Carth shook his head. "Didn't think so," Jolee growled. "Now let me sleep. I swear, the youth of today…" Carth blocked out Jolee's oncoming rant about young people and continued to pace.

Jolee had been snoring for the better part of the day and most of the night before Tiaan re-appeared. She looked exhausted as she dropped a large wax-cloth bag onto the floor. It made a tinny, clanging noise, startling Jolee awake. "I got all the artefacts." Tiaan said, her voice free of any arrogance.

"_All_ of the artefacts?" Jolee asked, his eyes wide, showing his delight.

"Yes," She said, opening the bag and pointing at each one she named. "The sword of Ajunta Pall, given to me by the now-redeemed ghost of Ajunta Pall; Jorak's tablet, Tulak Hord's mask, and the remains of the rogue droid as proof of its destruction." Tiaan didn't notice the impressed looks on her comrades' faces and continued talking. "I also helped the renegade students escape, but I can simply tell Uthar that I killed them. I doubt he'll bother to check."

"Good job, Tiaan," Jolee said, clapping her on the back. Tiaan winced, which caused Jolee alarm. He checked her back and saw a large, and rather deep, gash running all the way from her shoulder blade to her hip.

"It's nothing," Tiaan murmured, still looking very sleepy. "I just got a bit cut up when I was in Marka Ragnos' tomb; fighting those droids." Jolee just looked at her, and proceeded to heal the wound with a Life Support pack.

"You'd better get some sleep, Tiaan," Jolee said, helping her to the bed. "I'll bring the artefacts to Uthar Wynn, you get some rest. I reckon your final test will be tomorrow." And with that, Jolee was gone, and had left Carth alone with Tiaan.

Tiaan seemed completely unaware of Carth; she appeared to be in a deep sleep. Suddenly feeling quite drowsy, Carth leaned against the wall opposite Tiaan's bed. Carth glanced at her, taking in her slight frame and the peaceful way she slept. _At least she's peaceful sometimes. _He thought._ Better than not at all._ Slipping down the wall and landing on the floor, he put his knees up and head into his arms and slept, his last thought that of his family, Dustil, but not Morgana, as he was so accustomed to. No, his last thoughts were of Tiaan.

* * *

"Are you ready?" Uthar asked Tiaan as they stood directly outside the tomb. 

"Yes, Master Wynn," Tiaan said, forcing as much arrogance into her voice as she could manage. Jolee had been right, the very next day, she had woken up to Yuthura telling her that she was to meet herself and Uthar outside the tomb of Naga Sadow for her final test. Tiaan had not slept incredibly well; the wound on her back had not fully healed and it ached.

"Very well." He said, clapping his hands together brusquely. "We are now ready for your final test, young Sith. You have earned the right to see if you shall become one of us."

"Indeed you shall," Yuthura said, smiling ambiguously.

"Is that a tone of mischief in your voice, dear Yuthura?" Uthar looked at her, his eyebrows raised. "You should know by now that no scheme is certain."

"As should you, my Master." She replied, inclining her head. "But I was only agreeing with you. Should we not get on with the test?"

"Yes, yes, of course. We are outside the sacred tomb of Naga Sadow, young one, the one discovered by Darth Malak and Darth Revan years ago. You are to follow in their footsteps and reach the ancient Star Map that lies deep within. There, you will find a lightsaber, amongst other things. The lightsaber is for you – your initiation present. Return to us once you have it, for you the test does not end there." Tiaan could appreciate the irony of the situation.

"Be very cautious here." Yuthura said. "This tomb is like the others in this valley, and many of it's old defences remain active."

"Do you understand what I have told you?" Uthar asked. "Are you ready to begin?"

"Find the star map. Return with the Lightsaber. Got it." Tiaan smirked, as if to say _Is this it? _

"Good luck." Uthar returned the smirk, oblivious to Yuthura grinning like a rancour behind him. "Yuthura and I await your return."

Tiaan took a deep breath and switched on her duelling shield before entering the tomb. As she walked through the ancient doors, she felt a sense of foreboding. The place reeked of the Dark Side, and her head swam with indistinct memories of her life as Revan.

"_You know those fools think I'm a man?" She cackled as she removed her metallic mask to face Malak. _

"_Do you really believe all this armour is necessary, Revan?"_

"_Careful now," She said sweetly, running a gloved hand across the brushed steel surrounding the bottom half of Malak's face. "You know how much it can hurt when you question me." Malak winced and jerked his head away angrily. "But yes, I do believe this armour is necessary. There is no greater fear than fear of the unknown, Malak." She said as though talking to a child._

"_Now, come on, the archaeologists have found us the next Star Map, it's just down this corridor."_

Shaking her head clear of the thoughts, Tiaan took a stimulant, knowing she'll need to be completely focused on the task at hand. At least now she knew that the Star Map was definitely in this tomb.

* * *

After taking down the Star Map co-ordinates in her datapad, Tiaan grabbed the Lightsaber they had told her to get and began to make her way to the door. Stopping suddenly, she had the feeling that someone was waiting on the other side. The two Tenterak had taken a lot out of the already-exhausted Tiaan and her last Medpac did not help much. 

Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself for the upcoming fight. As she made her way through Naga Sadow's tomb, Tiaan had thought upon this fight. While Yuthura believed that she would assist in killing Uthar, she also believed that Tiaan was indeed a fallen Jedi. _It could be so easy to kill them both, you know. _A small voice in the back of her mind whispered. _Then you could become head of the Academy. Think of the power! _Tiaan pushed the voice away and cursed the Dark Side's strength in this place. Gripping her Lightsaber in one hand, and the Sith one in the other, she stepped through the door.

"Ah, Tiaan, you return with the lightsaber in hand, as I knew you would." Uthar smiled pleasantly, though it did not reach his eyes.

"The Force has served you well." Yuthura nodded.

"You took a great risk in acquiring the artefact." Uthar continued. "You used your mind and your power… No peaceful meditation, no pacifism. Sometimes, you must fight in order to achieve. This gives you your passion, this makes you stronger. This is what makes you superior. That is the lesson we teach with that part of the final test. Do you understand?"

Tiaan knew she should lie; knew she should agree and get the battle over with, but she couldn't. "I don't believe you. I don't feel superior to anyone."

Uthar's lips thinned. "If you came to the Academy, you must have felt the stirrings within you that cry out for the freedom of the dark side – that cry out for release. I can only show you the path that will lead to power and superiority. You have followed it this far… You must decide if you are capable of continuing."

"And if I'm not?" She whispered.

"Then this is where your path ends, young one. This is no turning back once you have embarked on it."

Tiaan sighed, knowing this to be true. She only hoped she wouldn't fall to the Dark Side and be unable to return. "I think I understand." She nodded.

"Good," Uthar smiled. "The last part of your test will now commence. Here you will learn the lesson of competition. All life must compete in order to flourish. To stand still is to know death… One must always be moving forward. So is the same amongst the Sith. Compete or die. Mercy is irrelevant. So it behoves you in this final test to strike down one you are familiar with, for no other reason than to prove you are superior and without mercy." He was walking across the small chamber as he talked, and he stopped directly beside Yuthura. "Normally, this would be against another student. You, however, get a special treat. You will fight Yuthura, here… My own apprentice." He clapped a hand on the Twi'lek's shoulder, but she pulled away, roughly.

"You talk too much, old fool." She snarled.

Uthar looked momentarily surprised, but he covered it up well. "You have become too ambitious, Yuthura… It is time for you to die."

"No, it is time for _you _to die, Master." Yuthura walked to other side of the chamber, igniting her lightsaber. "My pupil stands with me."

"Sadly, Yuthura, it is you who are mistaken. Your pupil is more ambitious than you realise… Isn't that so, young one?"

"Sorry, Uthar," Tiaan said, walking over to Yuthura, "I'm with Yuthura on this one."

Barely containing his anger, Uthar ignited his own blade. "The time has come, then? So be it! I will… Ugh!" Dropping his lightsaber, he doubled over as if in agony. "No! My… My strength leaves me!"

"You are weak, Uthar," Yuthura said, walking over to him. "The Force has abandoned you, and a new leader has risen to replace you." Uthar looked at up at her, clutching at his stomach, plead in his eyes. Yuthura narrowed hers. "Pathetic." She muttered, and with a deftness that Tiaan was astonished at, Yuthura drove her lightsaber into his heart. "And a new Order is brought to the Academy." She turned to look at Tiaan, and the Jedi felt uneasy.

"While I do like you… Truly, I'm afraid I'm not the type to share power with anyone. Even you." And with an apologetic shrug, Yuthura launched herself at Tiaan; who had barely a chance to dodge the deadly attack.

With her lightsaber lit in one hand, Tiaan used the Force to push Yuthura back, but it only bought her a second. Yuthura was as ruthless, if not more so, as the Sith Tiaan had met on her travels, and, she couldn't help think as she went on the defensive as the Twi'lek spun her lightsaber trying to find a weak spot, she truly was Uthar Wynn's apprentice. Her merciless attacks were making Tiaan more than a little nervous, but they were also reckless. With a cry of pain, Tiaan realised she had not been concentrating fully on the fight. She cursed her stupidity and focused herself wholly on getting out of this alive. Tiaan had eventually gained the upper hand, and Yuthura was forced to stop her offensive attack to block Tiaan's controlled assault. Tiaan was exhausted by this stage; covered in various wounds, cuts and burns, she could barely stand.

But with one deft swoop of her lightsaber. Yuthura fell to the ground, gasping at the large wound Tiaan had dealt her. "I yield!" She managed to shriek. "You… You are too strong for me. I was a fool to think otherwise. I am… At your mercy."

"What?" Tiaan could not hide her astonishment. "You, a Sith, ask for mercy?"

"I… Suppose I am. Something tells me that you are… Not like the other students. I don't know why that is." She looked up at Tiaan, her eyes misty. "I was… Right the first, back at the cantina, wasn't I? There _is _something different about you… More so than I even suspected."

Tiaan controlled her laboured breathing. "I'm not all that different. I just don't want to kill you."

"That alone makes you different. Most of the Sith here would not think twice about it."

"Why did you try to kill me, Yuthura?" Tiaan had to ask. She had genuinely thought that Yuthura had enjoyed their friendship.

"I had no choice," She coughed. "You… reminded me too much of a time before I became a Sith. I… didn't want to think about that." She sighed, slumping down. "All the things I wanted to do, all the wrongs I wanted to get right… I haven't done any of it. They just get farther and farther from my mind. All I've cared about it power and… and myself. This isn't the person I was."

Tiaan lowered herself down to Yuthura's level and put a tentative hand on her shoulder. "There's still time to change that." She said softly.

Yuthura closed her eyes, as if digesting Tiaan's words. "You're… you're right. Maybe what I needed most was peace, after all." She looked up, her eyes moist. "The Jedi showed me that. I don't know if I can ever go back to them… but my place isn't here. Thank you…" She said, clasping Tiaan's hand. "Thank you for showing me that. You have a destiny, my friend, and I wish you well on your way to it." Coughing, Yuthura slumped to the floor. Tiaan knew her injuries were too severe, knew that Yuthura was going to die, but she couldn't let that happen.

"Yuthura," Tiaan said, "Yuthura, stay with me. I'm going to cure you. Just hang on."

The Twi'lek looked at her and smiled. "May the Force… be with you, friend." And with a ghost of a smile, Yuthura died. Tiaan gripped her hand, and bowed her head, willing the tears to not fall.

"I am so sorry," she whispered to the Twi'lek, before standing up and leaving the tomb. She hoped the lack of Uthar and Yuthura would go un-noticed by the students, or else, Tiaan thought bitterly, she wouldn't leave Korriban alive.

* * *

"Where is she?!" Carth roared at Jolee over the blaster fire and wails from the fallen Sith. They had been discussing their plans on getting to the Star Forge when, all of a sudden, the entire academy erupted; Sith were everywhere, shouting about a rogue student that killed their Master. When they had descended on Carth and Jolee, they knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that it was Tiaan. 

"She's coming!" Jolee shouted back, before felling another Sith. "There, she's being cornered!" Carth looked over to where the old Jedi was pointing, and a stab of alarm went through him.

Tiaan looked a wreck. Her tattered robes were covered in blood and dirt and she could barely defend herself against the onslaught of several healthy Sith. He quickly gunned down the Sith surrounding her, and ran to her aid, allowing Jolee to take care of the last few Sith in the area.

Carth had arrived at her side just in time. With a sigh, she said "Got the Star Map, killed Uthar, Yuthura dead", and slumped into his arms – unconscious. "Jolee!" He screamed. "We're out of here! She's needs medical attention right away!" With a gruff nod, Jolee put the remaining Sith in a Stasis, and they quickly made their way to Dreshdae, trying to avoid lone Sith.

When they got onboard, the crew surrounded them. "What the Frack…" Canderous began, but Carth cut him off. "Just get us off this rock, now!" Issuing various commands to the others, he pointedly ignored Jolee's attempts at wrestling Tiaan's unconscious form from him, instead finally saying, "I've got her!" He said angrily, pushing him aside and heading into the Swoop garage.

* * *

As Tiaan regained consciousness, she found that Carth had put her down gently in the Swoop garage, and was beginning to rip large sections of his undershirt and smaller strips from his trousers. His armour lay discarded behind him. 

Carth looked down at her. His face was sweaty and his hair was plastered to his face. His eyes spoke relief that no words could describe and his face was set in concern. He seemed to be seeing which cut was the worst on her face and Tiaan suddenly realised how blood-stained she must look. As if coming to a decision, Carth looked away and picked up a small, square piece of cloth, and reached out to Tiaan's lip to start cleaning it. Tiaan, out of habit, moved her head away. Then, slightly ashamed, she looked up to see Carth gazing at her, plea in his eyes.

"It'll make you less ugly, Beautiful." He said teasingly, beginning to wipe under her lip.

Tiaan was so dazed she barely even registered the use of her old nickname. "You know I don't care about that." She said hoarsely.

He grinned and continued cleaning where blood had trickled down her chin.

"Yeah, I know."

A few moments of silence passed and Carth finished wiping her chin and put down the first piece of fabric. "You really did good back there, Beautiful," he murmured to her. Tiaan didn't answer, but closed her eyes and waited, numb.

She felt him start mopping below her eye too, where the blood had dried and formed a crust. She opened her eye a fraction and saw Carth concentrating for a moment, and could feel the blood come cleanly away. He was surprisingly gentle, for a soldier.

Tiaan groaned, not meaning to. "Since when were you a healer?" She croaked. "Where's Jolee?"

"Attending to the others; they're fine, they just got bumped around when we left. Canderous isn't the smoothest pilot. Don't worry, I've got you." Carth stopped cleaning her eye and selected several wider strips of material. He lifted Tiaan firmly off the cold floor and tore off the rags left from her robes, which were dangling down her back. After that, he began wrapping her up with the strips. He had to keep her close so he could reach behind her back, thus Tiaan dimly noticed his head almost touching her own, his breath mingling with hers. And she grew more tired than ever. She let her head slump down on her chest and didn't say a word. Carth grew more anxious at this and his bandaging grew quicker, but he had stripped off a lot of his undershirt and there was still more of the wound to cover.

Tiaan grew uncomfortable, feeling a pain stretch across her spine and neck while her chin rested on her torso. She wriggled a bit to try and stifle the pain, but it would not leave. Exhausted, she pushed her head forward, nuzzling into a soft, warm spot she had found right in front of her, which turned out to be Carth's shoulder. Without really taking it in, she felt him suddenly stop and turn his head towards hers.

She wanted to sleep, to nod off and never wake up. But his bandaging began again and all too soon, he was shifting her off him and placing her softly back on the garage floor for support. She forced herself to stay awake and opened her eyes wide enough to take in her surroundings.

What she saw first was Carth. He was on his knees now, and she noticed he was covered in dust and dirt. He was looking at her, almost like looking for some signs of life, and she could see his eyes calculating if he could do anymore to help her.

She pushed herself away from the cold floor and he immediately moved closer in case she fell. She chuckled slightly, her heard dropping down as she did, and then she noticed something else.

"You look like your clothes have been worn by a Rancor," She said, allowing a weak smile.

"What?"

Instead of summoning the strength to answer, Tiaan simply nodded towards Carth's clothes. With the armour discarded on the floor, his clothes were basically rages hanging off him, with no shape or hint of what they had once been. His trousers stopped, tattered, just above his knees and his shirt had no arms and half of the body was torn off, too.

"Oh," he said and grinned. "Yeah, guess I got a little carried away with getting you bandages."

She looked into his eyes and saw his worry. She felt a sudden rush of gratitude and was truly touched. The rush seemed to give her a little more strength and she sat up a little straighter. "Thank-you, Carth." She whispered, giving him a ghost of a smile.

"No problem, Beautiful," he replied. All of his previous anger with her seemed to have disappeared, and Tiaan was grateful. She moved slowly towards her Swoop Bike, hoping to use it as a boost to stand up slowly. With a huge effort, she managed to coerce her weak legs to bear her weight. Tiaan began to congratulate her legs on a job well done, when she heard Carth give a soft call from behind her.

"You okay?"

She turned and grinned, but her smile turned into a grimace when she felt a sharp pain shoot through her. Taken off guard, she cried out loud and stumbled. In the small scuffle, she fell hard on her back and yelled out at the top of her voice in agony. Carth was there in an instant, clasping her hand and pulling her up steadily whilst looking at her side to see if she was bleeding again.

"I'm okay, I'm okay," She muttered fiercely, trying to push him off, but he held onto her while she balanced herself on her knees. "I can… Oh," She went very pale. "I feel a little…" She collapsed into Carth's arms before she could finish her sentence.

Carth smiled sadly at the frail little woman he held. Picking her up carefully, he began bringing her to her quarters. Walking by Jolee, he silenced him with a nod of his head, indicating that she was alright for now, and what she needed was rest. The old Jedi shrugged nonchalantly and left to go finish fixing up the others.

Carth laid Tiaan down gently on her bunk, and brushed a stray lock of hair out of her eyes. _I can't hate her,_ he thought sadly, _and I was a fool to try._

Tiaan's eyes fluttered open, making Carth jerk his hand away from her face. "Thanks, Flyboy," She murmured.

"Anytime, Tiaan." He said, sighing as he began to get up.

"Wait, I…" She seemed to find it difficult to find the right words. "I… Don't you think it's time we talked? About… About me being Revan?"

Carth sighed once more. He was expecting this conversation. "If you're ready to talk, then yes, so am I."

A moment of silence passed. "Well?" Tiaan said, her impatience getting the better of her.

Carth looked down, shaking his head. "I can't hate you. I tried… I wanted to hold you responsible for all the things you've done. For my… For my wife, for Telos, for Dustil. But I can't."

This was certainly not the answer Tiaan was expecting. "Why can't you?"

"I got the revenge I always wanted when Saul died, but it hasn't brought me the peace that I thought it would," He replied, staring directly into her eyes. "All I can think of now is the promise I made to protect you from what's going to come. It's given me a reason to look past simple revenge. Despite whatever part of Revan, the… the darkness that must surely be there, it isn't who you are. That's why I can't hate you, why I don't want anymore revenge. You don't have to be Revan, you can be so much more. Whatever the Jedi did to you, they gave you that chance.

You have this huge destiny waiting for you, Tiaan, and I just… I fear that if you're alone it could swallow you whole. I mean, is there room for me? Will you let me help you?"

Tiaan swallowed, finding it difficult to hold back the tears. "I don't want you hurt protecting me, Carth."

"I think I would be hurt worse if I didn't try." The poignant look on his face almost broke Tiaan's heart. "Whatever's happened up until this point, there's going to come a time very soon where you're going to have a make a choice. And there won't be any turning back. I… I want you to make the right choice. I want to give you a reason to."

Tiaan could hardly breathe, let alone ask him what sort of reason.

"You gave me a future," he continued, taking her slender hand in his, his calloused fingers gently caressing her own. "I want to give you a future, too… With me. I think I could love you, if you would give me the chance."

"I think I could love you, too." To Carth's evident relief and joy, Tiaan smiled, the first true smile he'd seen from her since before the Leviathan.

"Well, then, I'm… I'm glad. Let's… Let's face the future together, then. There's still a lot to do, and you need to rest." Tiaan nodded, still smiling. Leaning forward, Carth hesitantly gave her a kiss. It was tender, and one that Tiaan would remember till the end of her days.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **Special thanks go to Javier Navarrete, for without his amazing "Pan's Labyrinth" soundtrack, I would have never finished this chapter. _

_Oh, and regarding the reason I gave as to why Carth and Jolee weren't allowed follow Tiaan – I don't know. I just thought it was silly for the Sith to allow anyone other than their own 'kind' (for lack of a better word) see their tombs and artefacts. _

_Reviews plz. :D_


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